Wow. It has been a while since I've done a Hair Care Update. I wish I had kept up with this, now this post is much longer than I'd like. I was just so used to my routine and such that I didn't feel like there was much to blog about at the time. That, and when you're in the middle of a setback you really aren't in the mood to post pictures, LOL.

JBCO results (my first JBCO update): The Castor Oil Challenge was from September 2^nd to December 2^nd. I was doing the basic level of the challenge, which was to use it at least twice a week. Occasionally I used it more, and once or twice mixed it in my deep conditioning mix. I know that if I would have increased my usage I would have ended up with better results; however, my results were still wonderful! The challenge was announced at a perfect time. It was when I did my last relaxer in August and noticed that the headaches I was getting while stressed out were all in places my hair was falling out. This made my hair noticeably thinner. I had some thinning in the back, and on both sides. The left was worse than the right. Two areas in the front, where I thought I was just having migraines, looked pretty bad since the rest of my hairline was doing well. The biggest area, where I got the most intense headaches, was the top of my head, towards the middle. Right there for the world to see. THAT spot is the first I noticed, it tipped me off that something wasn't right. Many people have had excellent results with castor oil helping hair regrow (making your hair look thicker, since there's more strands on your head). My results were pretty good! Those posts in my hairline are almost back to normal. It's at least not as obvious. The sides of my hair improved, as well as the area in the back. The top of my head? It still needs time (and JBCO!), yet it had the greats recovery of all! I plan to continue using the JBCO. I'm still not too fond of the smell (some describe it as a "BBQ" smell, I disagree because I actually like BBQ, lol) but I'm willing to ignore it if continue to see results!

Last Relaxer: I started my relaxer on December 13^th, one day shy of 18 weeks post. What's that? Oh. No. No I couldn't wait another day.

Read more »

Wow. I had this typed up and saved on the 4^th. Maybe I should have posted it? lol Edit: Changed the date to reflect the day it was actually posted, not the day I wrote it.


Back in September I wanted to start using the sample of Burt's Bees Purifying Gel Cleanser and the Targeted Spot Treatment I had received from BzzAgent. After some use, I was starting to think it wasn't enough for me, so I went back to mostly using my Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream. I rotated between the two.

One of my goals on my 1001 Days List is to start a weekly routine for face care, and follow it for two months straight in attempt to figure out what works for me. I wasn't as consistent as I wanted to be. The days I was stressed out and depressed, it was more than easy to skip scrubbing my face and just heading to bed. The last four weeks, while I've missed a few days here and there, I've been sticking to the Burt's Bees products. My face is actually starting to adjust. My face feels a lot smoother and isn't as dry or oily. I use it before bed and my face feels clean all day. Now, I'm still fighting to clear up certain areas that have always been tough for me to keep free of acne; however, I am glad to report that it's at least under control. I need to start eating better and drinking more water. I expect more improvements (next month, I might actually be comfortable sharing the pictures charting my progress!) coming up.

I may go back to using Noxzema more once summer comes around. Not only do I love how my face feels right after, the cooling sensation is wonderful after a hot day. I do give the Burt's Bees credit for not being as drying. My current moisturizer isn't a thick enough follow up to Noxzema in this cold weather. My T-zone and the winter cold get into it every year.

My current plan is:

I'm going to eat better and increase my water intake.

Use both Burt's Bees products once a day.
If necessary I will start using the Burt's Bees Cleanser twice a day. I doubt there will be a need for this, as I stated, my face seems to be doing just fine all day after one use.

I have also been using a toner and scrub on and off. I want to use the toner a few times a week (almost daily) and the scrub weekly.

I will be more persistent with the moisturizer/SPF product. It's been so cold (by Southern California standards, lol), yet I know better about skipping spf just because the sun's not as obvious.

I was given the Burt's Bees products to try out for free as a member of BzzAgent and to share with others. I was not paid for this. The other products I have purchased on my own to use. I receive no compensation. I'm just sharing my experiences. =)

try Project 365

I say it's about time for me to get on this goal. I do have 474 days left to complete my 1001 Days List, but I want to save some room in case I slip up. The goal is to take a photo everyday, for 365 days. I considered finally starting this back in November, but January 1^st 2010 sounds better.

The plan was to create a photoblog and include the latest image in the sidebar (updated daily) here and on Smells Like Rain; however, I think it will be easier if I just do a weekly update. I'll try to post the seven photos of the week each day over at PurrPose (my photo gallery I don't use very much, lol), or even my favorite photo of the week. Then I'll have the sidebars update weekly.

What do I plan on taking photos of? Anything in my everyday life. Of course I'll take at least one photo of myself each week; however, during the other days of the week I'd like to snap pictures of things in my life. How much has Aaliyah grown? What did I do today? Did I go someplace new?

What happens after day 365? Since I probably won't share all of the photos online, I do plan to share them offline. I love an excuse to order prints. A scrapbook? A collage for the wall? I have 365 days to figure it out.

Back Up Plan
365 days of taking pictures daily is a big goal. What happens if I get to day 268 and forget (besides me finding a dark corner to mourn in)? I do plan to set up my camera on my desk to remember, and to make it a habit to take my older camera with me when I go out. The reminder's already set in my cell phone! And yet, I'm a bit worried. One suggestion I stumbled upon while looking at examples is to try a Project 52, a photo a week. If it comes down to it I'll start doing the 52 Days to start slow and then the Project 365 next year. We'll see what happens.

Yesterday I shampooed the bedroom carpet. I'm waiting for it to dry so I can get under the bed, then the rest of the apartment comes next. One of my goals on my 1001 Days List is to do this or something similar once a year. As you can see, I'll barely make it, lol. It's actually a part of my goal to reorganize the whole apartment. I plan to divide off a part of the living room (with a bookcase or room divider) for just my daughter's toys. =) Anyway, here are just a few updates. You can check the full list to see where I'm at.

In Progress
find ten new drinks, desserts, or meals I can make in my blender or crock pot and LIKE (3/10)
Orange chicken. Yes, in a crock pot.

start a weekly routine for face care, follow for two months straight
I've had a routine down for months, I just find myself, some days, being a bit lazy, lol. If it weren't for a couple of days this month, I could have crossed this goal off for the "two months straight" part. Blah.

organize everything better
See the beginning of this entry.

clean carpets (steam or something similar) at least once a year (1/3)
See above. I should be changing this to 2*3 in the next day or so.

clip coupons on average of twice a month (32/64)
From 24 to 32 between September and today. Not counting the latest coupons I have waiting for me. Now I need to learn how to use stores that do overage and the like.

do a picture post once a month, for a year (1/12)

and
try Project 365

I was going to start 365 last month. A brand new year sounded like a better starting point. The goal is to take a photo everyday, for 365 days. I combined the picture post goal with this one. I don't plan on posting every last photo, so every month I'll share some in a blog entry over at Smells Like Rain. I'll have another post on this in a few days

donate old clothes/items (0/3)
I've done this a number of times. I'm sure at least one instance fell within the time I started this list, lol. Oh well. Part of organizing the apartment involves this (my trunk has a few boxes of clothes and toys to donate), so I'm on it.

blog at Smells like Rain at least 143 times (averages out to one post a week) (30/143)
From 20 to 30 since September. It sounds great, but I'm actually really behind.

LOL! I was supposed to post this list back in October (it's part of a draft), to replace my monthly goals for the rest of the year. I ended using a notebook for my weekly lists, which included a last of 2009 list. So, let's see what I happened to finish up from the draft!

Hair

Stretch to at least 16 weeks

I hit 18 weeks on December 14^th. For years I've stretched my relaxers for months on end with the help of individual braids. It's not really a problem. Since joining the JBCO challenge to help thicken my hair since the possibly stress related thinning, I was getting too excited and wanted to see my results.


Actually, I relaxed one day early (no, I couldn't wait ). Speaking of which, I need to do a post updating my hair progress. I took before and after pictures, and will take more after I wash tomorrow and press my hair.

Touch APL

My goal was full APL, but after several trims later from bad habits last year, it may or may not happen. Just touching APL will make me happy since my ends are looking better. We'll see tomorrow.

Organize my products, again.

Starting a HHJ means you're probably going to try more than a few products. Before you know it, you have more than you need. I organized and now I'm finding ways to use up my items outside the staple pile.

General Health

Read more »

I fixed the redirect issue. One of the sites I'm a member of moved, so their script to validate your blog was also trying to redirect. I apologize for that.

I have a long list of things to do before I get back into this blog.